I had always wanted to play classical guitar since I was in high school, so I joined the Arpeggio club in college and started practicing, but I struggled to prepare for recitals due to my lack of consistency and responsibility. This made me realize that a responsible attitude and consistent effort are very important not only in college, but also in my future life.
When I was in high school, I thought that playing classical guitar was my dream for college, so I naturally joined a classical guitar club called Arpeggio. This club was ideal for me because there were many peers and good seniors. At first, I had a strong determination and passion to practice hard and become a good guitar player. However, as is often the case, the repetitive practice and the more difficult than expected notes slowly dampened my initial enthusiasm.
Like almost all clubs, ours was preparing for a concert this winter. The date of the recital was fast approaching, while I was neglecting my guitar practice and not even paying attention to it. At the recital, the first and second year arpeggio students are divided into small groups, trios, quartets, ensembles, and other quartet teams, and they perform two quartet pieces and two full ensemble pieces. My part was the first part of the full ensemble piece and the third part of a trio consisting of one junior and one senior. In the club, we practiced every Monday and Wednesday evening in preparation for the concerts, and the quartet was also practicing separately. I didn’t think my guitar skills were very good, so I participated in the ensemble practice without missing a beat, and I was also practicing the quartet.
As we were nearing the end of one ensemble and one quartet, our club decided to go to Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do, for two days and three nights to make up for the lack of practice time. The goal of the music camp is to play guitar all day long, complete the ensemble and quartet, and evaluate each other’s performance. Our trio was supposed to prepare the second piece, “Golden Fields,” a week before the camp, but we were too tired from the continuous practice and events, so our senior suggested that we practice at home before the camp. However, I fell into the sweet break and didn’t pick up my guitar, and I ended up going to the music camp unprepared and without my sheet music.
I was wrong to think that I would be able to do well after practicing for so many hours at the music camp. “Golden Fields” was much more difficult than the first quartet I struggled with, “Blessing of the Field Chrysanthemum”. As the third part, I was not only responsible for the accompaniment, but also for adjusting the beat and tempo of the entire piece. The cost of not practicing was high. Even if I practiced during quartet practice and during breaks between ensemble practices, I still struggled to keep up with the others. All the calluses on my fingers had disappeared because I hadn’t practiced, and every time I touched the strings, it was painful. Worse, I watched the rest of the quartet struggle to keep up with me while I fumbled.
Two days and three nights passed, and it was time to evaluate each other’s work. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for a breakthrough, but our group had to stop after playing less than half of the quartet’s “Golden Fields”. I looked at my team leader, a senior, who was very disappointed in my motivation to practice so hard, and I felt guilty.
In fact, I didn’t live a responsible life in middle and high school either. I was overconfident in my abilities, and I often spent my time rushing around and doing things half-heartedly at the last minute, missing out on great opportunities. In college, I had more freedom, but my lazy life continued. No teachers scolded me for being late to school, and my parents didn’t interfere if my grades weren’t good enough. However, I think this attitude must be changed in order to live as a cog in the huge machine that is society.
If I had practiced guitar consistently, if I had spent 20-30 minutes every day, I would not have harmed my quartet and the club as a whole. Moreover, in the future, I should take up the profession of a “doctor” who deals with life. In order to have a free and fulfilling extracurricular life, I need to be responsible for my own responsibilities.
I have this ugly side, but I also have the good side of admitting and accepting my mistakes. Maybe it’s a habit from getting into trouble since I was a kid. When someone points out a mistake, I try to accept it without resisting. This is like a “lubricant” that keeps the creaky “me” cogs turning every time. Of course, in the future, I’ll need to reduce the number of cogs that squeak.
I’m realizing that it’s important to be responsible and consistent in various aspects of my life. My failures in guitar practice have taught me a great lesson, and I will strive to be a better person in my future life. I want to be more responsible and do my part in activities with others, and these lessons will help me when I go out into the world and get a job.
I hope I can build on this experience and grow even more in the future. I will cherish every moment of my life and move towards my goals with a responsible attitude.
